«Dynamic, contemporary, assertive», Ferrari's new lifestyle according to Rocco Iannone

«I have always found it more interesting to explore processes as they occur rather than the end result», says Rocco Iannone about Ferrari's FW23 collection presented last Saturday at Palazzo Citterio in the heart of Brera. The collection focuses thematically on the theme of transition, of the process in the making-dominated by a pink hue missing that seems to be about to transform into Ferrari's red. «In the manifestation of a process, a passage, a transition, it is possible to grasp all the potential that can be expressed. The same thing happens with the concept of beauty, which I have always appreciated more in its fulfillment, in its becoming, rather than when the process is complete». It is clear that, since we are talking about Ferrari, these values of beauty must relate to a cultural heritage that relates as much to the automotive world as to the lifestyle that surrounds racing teams and competitions such as Formula 1. That is why the beauty of Ferrari according to Iannone is related to «to its design, its sensuous elines, its absolute volumes and the balance of forms» which is expressed, then, in a new transition, «in that process of acceleration that propels it toward the speed», beauty in motion. It could not be a Ferrari show, then, without direct communication between the world of automotive materials and fashion. It all takes place within the boundaries «of Ferrari's own mission of eco-friendliness and reduction of environmental impact». 

Some examples? Recycled fabrics, cruelty-free leather but also «the Q-Cycle satin, a state-of-the-art certified material derived from the processing of waste tires. Through the action of heat, pyrolysis oil is born from the rubber, which then leads to the creation of the fabric's compositional polyamide. With this process, we limit water consumption and CO2 emissions while ensuring excellent levels of comfort and performance». However, a technical advancement that is part of the overall balance of the aesthetics of the collection and the brand: «In Ferrari's aesthetic ethos, sustainability is itself an expression of beauty, because elegance lies also and above all in the way we decide to produce, to contain our impact, to seek coherent and responsible solutions that can contribute to the circularity and extension of the life cycle of materials that already exist». Chief symbol of the collection, present since Ferrari's entry into fashion is the suit «which is not only the most natural interpretation of the "Ferrari landscape" in fashion territory, but which this season is expressed in as many as 6 looks through different treatments and aesthetic approaches: from rubberized leather the Q-Cycle satin, all the way to the fully embroidered version». But the entire collection ultimately represented new and different applications of Ferrari's vocabulary and narrative that include «include the revisiting of workwear, very close to the Ferrari world, which is grafted into tailoring to contaminate it. And then the use of color, the iconic Ferrari red caught in an earlier stage, before it becomes red, as dynamic pink».

This dialogue between different elements takes place not only between the automotive world and fashion, but also between the collection being presented and its setting. «For the presentation of the FW 23/24 collection, we chose Palazzo Citterio, a place of history, a symbol of the beauty of eighteenth-century Italian art, and as a modern industrial design architecture that well represents the combination of craftsmanship feeling and technological progress at the heart of our collections», Iannone explains. An exceptional location whose values do not need to be "augmented" through a set design, but instead dialogues transparently with the entire collection, also communicating that hyper-sophisticated functionality that the designer has infused into his collections. «In terms of the set-up, the desire was to enhance the work done on the collection and to represent the location without camouflage led us to an extremely clean and rational scenic choice aimed at making the most of the garments». A collection, then, that exemplifies the desire to move forward, almost a meta-reflection on the Ferrari brand that creates an image of itself projected in the midst of progress. When we ask him how he envisions the brand's future, Iannone is confident, responding with just three words: «Dynamic, contemporary, assertive».